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In the fourth book in Jane O’Connor’s Nancy Clancy series, Nancy and her third-grade classmates are learning about the past through Polaroid cameras. Their teacher, Mr. Dudeny, has asked them to “bring in something from present time. Nothing big. Something that tells about what life is like today.”
Nancy isn’t sure what to put in the time capsule until she solves the mystery of the silver key she finds in an old desk her parents bought for her. Sleuthing like Nancy Drew, she and her best friend, Bree, conduct interviews in their clubhouse with previous owners of the desk and visit people who may lead them to the answer. Sometimes they receive (unwanted) help from their pesky classmate Grace, but they realize a nosy person such as Grace comes in handy sometimes when trying to find answers.
When they track down the owner of the key, they discover it doesn’t open anything at all. But what it does do is prove best friends are forever and it inspires Nancy to put a token of friendship in the school time capsule.
The girls in this book look and act very sophisticated. They wear beautiful clothes and accessories. Their manners are impeccable, and Nancy’s vocabulary includes French words (oui, merci, bonjour, très) and “fancy” words such as mulled, diligent, interior decorating and reveal, all of which are defined within the narrative.
Black-and-white illustrations can be found throughout the story either as full-page spreads or small spot drawings alongside the text. The fourteen chapter headings are decorative and a French word appears with its pronunciation.
I used the first Nancy Clancy book with our library’s Mother-Daughter Book Club, and both the moms and daughters had positive things to say about it. I will be recommending this one during our next meeting.
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Nancy Clancy: Secret of the Silver Key